Modern water supplies are subject to contamination from various agents, both environmental and industrial in origin. Although public water supplies are regulated by various governmental agencies, and are ostensibly examined for compliance with standards of purity, such standards are not always met. Occasionally, water supplies are contaminated by illegal dumping of hazardous wastes, which may escape detection if such occurrence falls between inspections. The result, particularly in regions proximal to manufacturing enterprises or waste disposal sites, is that drinking water is subject to contamination from hazardous chemicals leached from the soil or deposited from smoke or vapor. The presence of organic chemicals and minerals often causes, in addition to disagreeable tastes, actual health hazards. As a result, the bottled water industry has experienced nearly explosive growth over the last several years.
As an alternative to foul-tasting, possibly harmful tap water, many consumers have turned to services which provide bottled water in filtered form, often sold as "natural spring water" or the like. The service typically provides a free-standing water cooler, and delivers water in 5 or 3 gallon bottles periodically. The cooler, a device but little changed over the last several decades, receives the bottle and chills and/or heats a quantity of water, maintaining it at a suitable temperature for dispensing. The cooler typically comprises a tall free-standing case containing refrigeration means. The top surface generally has a circular aperture surrounded by a cushioned ring for receiving and supporting the water bottle. In use, a filled bottle is uncapped and inverted into the cooler, so that the bottle comes to rest with the open mouth within the cooler. A quantity of water pours from the bottle, filling a water-receiving chamber immediately under the cooler's upper surface up to a level which touches the neck of the bottle and halts the flow of water out of the inverted bottle. The water may be cooled in this chamber, and held until dispensed by activating the outlet.
The drawback to such a service, however, is expense. Bottled water must be transported and delivered, whether by the consumer or by the service. "Spring water" and the like is frequently transported considerable distances. Also, reliance upon a service to deliver water leaves the consumer at the mercy of the service's delivery schedule. Thus, a need exists for a device to provide filtered, drinkable water while avoiding the need to transport heavy bottles.
Frahm, U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,243 disclosed a device for filtering water which comprises a receptacle having a spigot, wherein the spigot is provided with a filter device having activated charcoal sandwiched between two layers of filter paper held in a cylinder attached to the spigot inside the receptacle. Although this device is capable of use with standard water bottles, it is not easily adaptable to use with a conventional water cooler.
Console et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,291 disclosed a silver-impregnated ceramic device for sterilizing, but not purifying, water stored in a tank or dispenser for drinking.
Senyal, U.S. Pat. No. 2,335,458 disclosed a water filtration device for use with bottled water comprising a long cylinder filled with activated carbon, a filter, and a stopper and tube fitted within the bottleneck. In operation, purifying and flocculating chemicals are added to the bottle and the bottle inverted over the filter. After standing, a valve is opened, and the water allowed to pass to the bottom of the cylinder through a tube, after which it percolates upward through the activated carbon, and is released into a receptacle for dispensing.
Hagg, U.S. Pat. No. 967,905 disclosed a water purifying device having a cone-shaped baffle to prevent sediment from clogging the filtering medium.
Dick, U.S. Pat. No. 2,389,185 disclosed a filter device adapted for attachment to the neck of a canteen or other water bottle, in combination with a sterilizing agent (e.g., chlorine), and preferably a sedimenting agent such as diatomaceous earth. The filter device allows troops to use surface water, "no matter what its condition."
Jaye, U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,520 disclosed a water jug having an integral filter cartridge. Water poured into the top of the container passes through a disk containing activated charcoal sandwiched between sheets of filter paper, and into a small reservoir adjacent to the spigot.
Paddock, U.S. Pat. No. 444,013 disclosed a water pitcher with an internal filter for ice water. The filter comprised a cylinder having a filter medium at the bottom, and supported on the pitcher base.
Miller, U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,274 disclosed a water filter for use with a pitcher or water bottle, comprising a layer of activated carbon sandwiched between two filter pads, and encased in a frustro-conical housing.
Gelman et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,438 disclosed a water filter unit for attachment to a water faucet, comprising an activated carbon layer supported on a micron filter, and covered with a filter having a pore size larger than the supporting filter but smaller than the carbon particle size.
Tyson et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,991 disclosed a device adapted for positioning within a bottle neck to impart silver ions to water, thereby preventing bacterial contamination of the water.
White, U.S. Pat. No. 2,502,298 disclosed a device for filtering water from one bottle into another bottle, comprising a stand, a funnel, where the stand and funnel are dimensioned to seal together and prevent the funnel from overflowing during the filtering operation.
Behrman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,779 disclosed a device for filtering water from one bottle into another bottle, comprising a stand, a funnel containing a filter medium (e.g., activated carbon) sandwiched between two layers of filter paper, and valves for regulating the water flow rate out of the upper bottle, and from the funnel into the receiving bottle.
Van Eweyk, U.S. Pat. No. 2,167,225 disclosed a device for filtering water from one bottle into another bottle, comprising a cylinder capable of supporting a full bottle, filled with a filter medium (e g., silver-impregnated partially exhausted zeolite). The cylinder is screwed onto the empty receiving bottle, and the filled supply bottle is inverted into the open mouth of the filter cylinder.
Hankammer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,457 disclosed another water pitcher having a filter medium encased in the lid portion of the pitcher. Water is added to the pitcher through the lid, where it is filtered and passed to the main body of the pitcher until it is dispensed.